Historical eventMay 311862

American Civil War

American Civil War: Confederate troops under Joseph E. Johnston and G. W. Smith engaged Union forces under George B. McClellan at the Battle of Seven Pines outside Richmond, Virginia.

Everything on May 31Original source

In context

When
Saturday, May 31 1862164 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1860s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1862.

What happened

American Civil War: Confederate troops under Joseph E. Johnston and G. W. Smith engaged Union forces under George B. McClellan at the Battle of Seven Pines outside Richmond, Virginia.

May 31 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1862American Civil War
  2. 2008Space Shuttle Discovery
  3. 2008Usain Bolt
  4. 2009George Tiller
  5. 2010Shayetet 13
  6. 20132013 El Reno tornado
  7. 2013Asteroid
  8. 2016Syrian civil war
  9. 2017May 2017 Kabul bombing
  10. 20192019 Virginia Beach shooting
  11. 20262026 Namhkam Township explosion

Also in 1862

  • September 15American Civil WarAmerican Civil War: Confederate forces captured the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, taking more than 12,000 prisoners.
  • September 17American Civil WarAmerican Civil War: Almost 23,000 total casualties were suffered at the Battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, Maryland, where Confederate a…
  • June 8American Civil WarAmerican Civil War: The Confederate Army won a resounding victory at the Battle of Cross Keys, one of the two decisive battles in Jackson…
  • July 17GarroteThe garrotting and robbery of James Pilkington, a British member of Parliament, led to a moral panic in London.
  • January 16Coal miningA pumping engine at a colliery in New Hartley, England, broke and fell down the shaft, trapping miners below and resulting in 204 deaths.
  • December 26American Civil WarAmerican Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou began with Confederate defenders engaging Union forces who were attempting to capture t…
  • August 4BrooklynIn Brooklyn, a mob composed largely of Irish Americans attacked a group of African Americans in a riot.
  • December 7American Civil WarAmerican Civil War: The Battle of Prairie Grove ended a Confederate attempt to regain control of northwestern Arkansas.

Everything we record for 1862 →

Sources

Cite this page

“American Civil War”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/american-civil-war-1862-may-31, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did American Civil War happen?

May 31 1862 — 164 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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